Incidents 2016

Incidents 2016

55/16 – 27/12/16

North Wales Police contacted NEWSAR following a report of a couple who had lost contact with the remainder of their group whilst walking in Nercwys Forest. Additional concerns included the age of one of the missing persons and the failing light as nightfall approached. Police officers sent to the scene made contact with the missing persons before the Team was deployed.

54/16 – 14/12/16

The Team was called out mid-afternoon to search for a vulnerable missing person in the Denbigh area. Despite the time of day, with many team members still at work, there was a good response to the callout, including ‘Izzy’ the Team trailing dog with her handler Tim. Just as the Team was about to deploy on the ground, the police received a report that the missing person had been spotted in a nearby village – when this was confirmed the Team stood down.

53/16 – 11/12/16

Just 10 hours after incident 52/16, NEWSAR Search Managers were contacted by North Wales Police to assist with the search for a person missing from home in the north-east part of our area. Fortunately, the missing person returned home safely before the Team was deployed.

52/16 – 11/12/16

The Team received an early morning call (5.10 am!) from the Welsh Ambulance Service to assist with the transportation of an elderly woman with a leg injury from a remote farmhouse near Corwen. Two team members attended the scene in a NEWSAR Landrover, and conveyed the casualty to a waiting road ambulance – we wish the lady a speedy recovery.

51/16 – 29/11/16

NEWSAR members were placed on standby following a report that an elderly person was missing from home in the Wrexham area – there was extra concern for the persons welfare due to sub-zero temperatures at the time. Fortunately there was a happy outcome when the missing person was found safe and well a short time afterwards. The Team was stood down before being deployed.

50/16 – 13/11/16

The Team was called out to a report of a mountain biker in the Llandegla area who had sustained a lower leg injury. The location was difficult for paramedics of the Welsh Ambulance Service to access, and after some on the spot treatment by one of the team doctors, the casualty was stretchered by team members to the road for evacuation by road ambulance – we wish the injured rider a speedy recovery.

49/16 – 15/10/16

NEWSAR assisted Welsh Ambulance Service to evacuate a casualty with a leg injury near Dinas Bran, Llangollen – the casualty was located on a track with no road access for the ambulance.

48/16 – 14/10/16

Welsh Ambulance Service requested NEWSAR assistance to recover a man with serious leg injuries near to the summit of Moel Famau. Members attended the scene and assisted the crew of the HM Coastguard helicopter to treat the casualty, and then moved him by stretcher to the aircraft – the Team wishes the casualty a speedy recovery.

47/16 – 11/10/16

The Team was called to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service to recover an elderly male casualty who had slipped 30 ft down a bank into a steep gully. A team doctor and other team members assisted paramedics to evacuate the casualty to a nearby landing site to rendezvous with a ‘Helimed’ helicopter.

46/16 – 11/10/16

NEWSAR received a report of a vulnerable missing person believed to be in the Chirk area. The missing person was found safe and well before the Team was deployed.

45/16 – 23/9/16

The Team was called out to a report of a walker with an ankle injury on a ridge between Moel Sych and Pistyll Rhaeadr in the Berwyn Mountains. The casualty was evacuated by HM Coastguard helicopter while team members were travelling to the scene.

The Team was called out in the evening to a report of a man who had sustained an ankle injury near to Trevor Rocks. The casualty was treated at the scene by one of the Team doctors and then conveyed to hospital in a team vehicle.

42/16 – 5/9/16

NEWSAR assisted the police to recover the body of the driver of a vehicle which had left the road near Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen. The thoughts of the Team go out to the relatives of the deceased.

41/16 – 21/8/16

As the Team was being called to the previous incident, a report was received of a missing person in the Bala area. The incident was found to be out of the Team’s area, and was passed to Aberdyfi Search And Rescue Team.

40/16 – 21/8/16

NEWSAR members were called out in the early hours of the morning to search for a vulnerable missing person in the Towyn area but were stood down when the person returned home safe and well.

39/16 – 8/8/16

The Team was called out to search for a vulnerable missing person in the Wrexham area – the person was found safe and well, a considerable distance away from the search area.

38/16 – 6/8/16

NEWSAR attended Worlds End following reports of a man having fallen 15 metres, sustaining injuries that were potentially serious. Team members assisted the crew of the HM Coastguard helicopter to evacuate the casualty by winch.

37/16 – 2/8/16

As the Team was preparing to deploy on the second day of the previous incident, a report was received of a second vulnerable missing person in the Nercwys area. The missing person returned home safe and well and the Team was stood down.

36/16 – 1/8/16

The Team received a report of a vulnerable missing person in the Halkyn area. Team members attended the incident, including several who had been in a meeting at NEWSAR Base. A night search was carried out before the Team was stood down in the early hours of the morning – the search was resumed mid-morning. The missing person returned home safe and well as other search teams arrived to assist.

35/16 – 30/7/16

NEWSAR was called out to a report of an accident involving a paraglider on Moel Famau. Welsh Ambulance Service arrived at the scene first and treated the casualty without assistance, and the Team was stood down – as the casualty had injuries that were potentially serious, one of the Team doctors accompanied the casualty to hospital

34/16 – 24/7/16

NEWSAR members were placed on standby following reports of a missing child in the Wrexham area. The Team was stood down when the child was found safe and well.

33/16 – 19/7/16

The Team was asked to assist Welsh Ambulance Service at the scene of a motorcycle accident, where the casualty was in a difficult to reach location. It was discovered that the location was out of the Team’s area, and the incident was passed on to Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation – the casualty was subsequently evacuated by ‘Helimed’ helicopter

32/16 – 9/7/16

NEWSAR members assisted the crew of the HM Coastguard helicopter with the recovery of the body of a walker on the Offas Dyke Path – the thoughts of the Team go out to the relatives of the deceased.

31/16 – 8/7/16

The Team was called out following reports of a casualty with chest pains in the Moel y Parc area. Team members travelling to the incident were stood down after the casualty was assisted down to the road by a local farmer with a quad bike.

30/16 – 5/7/16

A NEWSAR Search Manager was contacted following concerns for a missing person in the Colwyn Bay area – the missing person was found safe and well before the Team deployed.

29/16 – 22/6/16

NEWSAR members assisted Welsh Ambulance Service with an injured member of a school party near Trevor Rocks, Llangollen.

28/16 – 8/6/16

The Team assisted Cheshire Search And Rescue in the search for a young person in the Oulton Park area. Several other Mountain and Lowland Search And Rescue teams took part in an operation that extended over several days – the missing person was subsequently found safe and well.

27/16 – 7/6/16

NEWSAR was asked by Police in the early hours of the morning to assist a male person who had become crag fast on a ledge in a quarry at Dyserth. A team member living nearby attended the incident on foot and assisted the man to safe ground.

26/16 – 6/6/16

The Team was deployed to a rural location near Denbigh when concerns were expressed for the welfare of a young woman missing from home. The missing person returned home safe and well as team members were about to start their search.

25/16 – 2/6/16

NEWSAR members carried out a search of a rural location near Nannerch following reports of an elderly man who had been missing from home since the early hours of the morning. The missing person was found nearby safe and well, and the Team was stood down.

24/16 – 30/5/16

Team members travelled to Pistyll Rhaeadr following a request for assistance from Welsh Ambulance Service who were attending a male person suffering from chest pains. The casualty was recovered to the WAS ambulance whilst the Team were still driving to the incident.

23/16 – 29/5/16

NEWSAR received a report of a woman stuck on a mountain near Bala – this turned out to be out of our area and the incident was passed to South Snowdonia Search And Rescue.

22/16 – 13/5/16

The Team was contacted by Police to assist with a search for a missing child in the Wrexham area – the child was found safe and well before the Team deployed.

21/16 – 5/5/16

The Team assisted Police in the search for a high-risk elderly person, missing in the Whitchurch area. The person was found safe and well.

20/16 – 30/4/16

A NEWSAR Search Manager assisted Police, following a dubious report from a person claiming to have fallen in a lake. The Search Manager liaised with the helicopter from HM Coastguard Caernarfon, and an aerial search was conducted with an inconclusive result. Team members were not deployed.

19/16 – 19/4/16

The team was requested to assist the Fire Service and Welsh Ambulance Service at the scene of a Road Traffic Collision at Bwlch Penbarras near Ruthin, where a car had left the carriageway.

18/16 – 17/4/16

Team members were called out to a climbing accident at Worlds End near Llangollen, where a climber had sustained a lower leg injury. Team members rigged a rope access system to protect the casualty during the evacuation.

17/16 – 28/3/16

NEWSAR members attended an incident near Corwen, where a person had been discovered in a potentially hazardous location near a waterfall. In a multi-agency operation involving Police, Fire Service and Welsh Ambulance Service, the team used a rope access system to extract the casualty.

16/16 – 22/3/16

Assistance was requested by the Welsh Ambulance Service to transport an injured horse rider at a rural location near St Asaph. Team members assisted the ambulance crew to carry the casualty to a nearby landing site for evacuation by the Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon.

15/16 – 14/3/16

Search for missing person for five hours in a rural area near Corwen. The Team was stood down following new information from North Wales Police suggested that the missing person was no longer in the area.

14/16 – 12/3/16

Mountain biker reported with a possible broken leg on a path near the previous incident. Team members attended, but the casualty was found to be on a public road. Assistance was provided to Welsh Ambulance Service to package the casualty and load into an ambulance.

13/16 – 12/3/16

Male reported with severe medical condition on the summit of Castell Dinas Bran above Llangollen. The Team attended to assist Welsh Ambulance Service. Wales Air Ambulance also attended and the casualty was evacuated by helicopter to hospital.

A male in his 60’s reported felling unwell as he was walking up hill in the Berwyns near Llandrillo. After a rest he was able to self rescue by walking down hill accompanied by two companions. No team deployment.

11/16 – 9/3/16

Report of lights and possible shouts for help from a hill side near Abergele. After investigation no one was found to be in distress. Thought to be mountain/BMX bike riders. False call with good intent.

10/16 – 4/3/16

AT 4:15pm on Friday 4th March a group of 5 Duke of Edinburgh students reported themselves a bit mislaid, cold and wet, somewhere near World’s End above Llangollen. Our First Responder used the SARLOC mobile phone locator system to confirm that they were actually not too far from reaching the safety of the road. They were then talked down the right way and into the safety of a vehicle from their DoE group. One Landrover was sent as a back-up but stood down on the way when it was confirmed that they were safe. Well done to the students who didn’t panic when they were lost and sorted themselves out with a bit of remote guidance.

09/16 – 3/3/16

A road traffic collision at Bwlch Penbarras near Ruthin resulted in a car leaving the road and travelling some 200 metres down the steep slope. One female casualty was severely injured. NEWSAR team members were called as part of a multi agency response. The Wales Air Ambulance landed close to the scene and their medical crew dealt with the immediate needs of the casualty. The ten NEWSAR team members then assisted with the carry of the casualty to the waiting helicopter for transport to hospital. We hope the lady makes a full recovery.

08/16 – 13/2/16

A report was received that a walker on the Offa’s Dyke Path at Moel Dywyl had slipped and sustained a knee injury and could not walk. Members of the Team who were taking part in the annual Casualty Care training weekend were scrambled from Base on what must have been one of our fastest turnouts for some time! The casualty was given pain relief and splinted before being evacuated to the road head, then transported to hospital by friends.

07/16 – 6/2/16

The Team was called out to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service to evacuate a casualty from a hazardous location following a kayaking accident on the Afon Tryweryn near Bala. The casualty was recovered by the HM Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon and transported to hospital.

06/16 – 2/2/16

NEWSAR was called out following a report that a dog had fallen down the same hole as in the incident (02/16) on 10 January – the dog’s owner followed to rescue the dog and had also become trapped. Eventually the owner and dog self-rescued just as the Team deployed.

05/16 – 24/1/16

A report was received that a red flashing light had been seen next to the river at Llangollen, in a location difficult to access safely. The NEWSAR Team Leader attended and a decision was reached to carry out further checks the next morning in daylight. The light was subsequently found to be a discarded fire alarm. False alarm (literally!) with good intent.

04/16 – 23/1/16

An experienced mountaineer reported seeing what appeared to be an SOS signal on Old Colwyn Mountain. This was confirmed by the police who carried out further checks in the area. After discussions with a NEWSAR search manager, the decision was made not to call out the team. False alarm with good intent.

03/16 – 16/1/16

NEWSAR carried out a search for a vulnerable missing person in the Deeside area.

02/16 – 10/1/16

A small team attended Devil’s Gorge near Loggerheads following reports of a dog having fallen down a shaft. A technical rope access system was used to lower a team member down to the dog and to then hoist the pair out – the dog was somewhat muddy but fit and well otherwise!

01/16 – 9/1/16

The team was called out following a report of two young women lost in fog and darkness on Moel Famau. Just as we were about to deploy the two women re-located themselves and made contact to inform the team that they were safe and well.

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